Wheaton, Ill. – The Thunder women's soccer team closed out its Bob Baptista Invitational on Saturday with a 3-1 win at Joe Bean Stadium against Hope College (1-1). Wheaton improves to 1-1 on the year and will travel to Loras College on Tuesday for a battle with the Duhawks.

Hope registered the first score of the night with an early goal. Elizabeth Perkins scored the for the Flying Dutch just 1:50 into the match to give Hope the early 1-0 lead. Thunder freshman Autumn Rasmussen tallied her first collegiate goal in the 24^th minute. Rasmussen collected a Thunder throw-in and navigated her way just inside the 18-yard box and in front of goal and put the ball between the left post and Hope goalkeeper Mary Clare Theis for the goal. The match remained tied a 1-1 at halftime.

Rasmussen broke the 1-1 tie with her second goal of the night in the 61^st minute on a Sarah Frey (PICTURED LEFT) assist. Frey's corner kick found the foot of Rasmussen who flicked the ball into the net for the Wheaton lead. Rasmussen registered the hat-trick with a goal in the 65^th minute. A Frey throw-in went to Morgan Whitman who deftly kick the ball into the back of the net for a 3-1 Thunder lead. Wheaton maintained its lead for the final 25 minutes to earn the 3-1 win.
 
Head coach Pete Felske noted after the game, "We tell the players to not get too high or low emotionally and at halftime there was a real sense of 'We can do this, be patient and it is going to take some time'. We didn't play great soccer tonight, but we finished a few opportunities and I liked the way that we came out in the second half."

Hope out-shot Wheaton tonight 18-11 and the Flying Dutch had a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. Wheaton netminder Kathryn McGregor made one save and allowed just one goal. Theis made two saves in the Hope net and allowed all three Thunder goals.